I suppose I shouldn't actually be particularly surprised or irritated that FNB capitulated to the petulant knee-jerk reaction that we've all come to expect when something touches on the hallowed integrity of our ruling party. But I am.

Yes yes, I know that there was a lot of financial pressure on them to give way and I know that it's probably a bad idea for any business to get intimately involved in the affairs of politics but I actually had hope, at least for a little while, that some real dialog would take place. Unfortunately, the Power that Is is notoriously bad at taking any kind of criticism and they've once again completely failed to burst out of their self-made mold.

If we set aside the fact that this whole thing wasn't actually even how FNB themselves feel, there's little in the videos that would offend a party with even a modicum of logic. It's undeniable that there is corruption riddling every aspect of our governance. It's undeniable that the majority of our country lives in abject poverty while our politicians blow millions on trips, houses and bottles of bubbly.

What seems to have slipped past the ANC is the messages of hope, the young folks who point out that while there are problems, we're all committed to solving them. Of course, it's much easier to flounce around the media wailing about “deeply offensive”, "treasonous" and "treacherous" adverts that are "an obviously lame attempt to recreate an Arab Spring of some sort in South Africa, uses children to make unproven claims of a 'government rife with corruption".

Still, I suppose this is the path we've put ourselves on so we may as well make the most of it. Who knows, perhaps next it'll be Zapiro being hauled over the coals for showing the ANC in a bad light. Oh hang on, that sounds familiar.

No doubt the ANC does not take criticism well at all, and their reaction is poor to say the least. But why was FNB's ad not focused on their core business... banking. Why play with politics in any guise. What are they hoping for? Stronger opposition to the ANC or maybe a better ANC? Who knows...

The ad clearly speaks to broad problems in our society and not to just being "helpful". So its not unreasonable for the ANC to see it as criticism of itself or its government.

The problem is that the vast majority of South Africans like their ANC and vote for them in droves. Yet all the time this ANC and its government gets bad press for almost everything it does, sometimes for good reason, but other times its just cheap politics. Their perception is that all this negative press originates from a weak opposition or its detractors. Yet they clearly are doing something right for the majority of voting South Africans. So is the criticism not just sour grapes?

If South Africa was as bad as the little girl in the ad says, then why do we South Africans keep voting for the same party? Could the ANC be right about the constant criticism and fault finding? Its a question worth asking.

Maybe its time for an opposition that does not just rely on criticism but rather an opposition that makes enough sense on its own that South Africans would vote for them.

It could be argued that some of the opposition at least has made inroads into the country and does do some good. I do agree though that they tend to adopt a default position of criticism. That it's often tempered by constructive ideas that are summarily dismissed is another point entirely.

The ANC does get re-elected time and time again but it seems to be for a variety of what I would certainly call the wrong reasons.

1) People believe that should the DA or another party come into power, Apartheid will resurface.

2) The ANC is so much of a national identity that it's unthinkable to not vote for them even if you have a high level of dissatisfaction.

3) The ANC tends to play heavily on sympathies close to election time. Since they're the de facto first and last word and owner of all resources in SA, it's quite easy for there to suddenly be amazing service delivery in the month before the elections.

The ANC has never been able to take criticism well but at least under the leadership of Thabo and Nelson, they were relatively stoic. Under the current leadership, they're far more likely to release explosive statements and pass the buck than to even think of engaging in any kind of meaningful debate.